US-Europe World Affairs

Spiritual Readiness Month Proclamation U.S Naval Base Yokosuka Japan

Capt. Jon Hopkins, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) and CMDR. Daniel Clark , Command Chaplain, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, elaborate on January as the Spiritual Readiness Month.

Capt. Jon Hopkins, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), signed the Spiritual Readiness Proclamation at CFAY headquarters, U.S Naval Base Yokosuka, Jan. 6, 2026.

Signing of this proclamation serves as a formal pledge to Navy’s commitment to recognize and invest more in mind, body and spiritual readiness and resilience of its sailors and their families to guarantee a top operational performance.

Get updates from: US Forces Japan              U.S Naval Forces Yokosuka

• U.S. 7th Fleet                              U.S Air Basse Yokota Japan

Acknowledgments,  Sources: Yokosuka U.S Naval Base, Japan. Photo: Capt. Jon Hopkins, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), with chaplains and Religious Program Specialists assigned to CFAY’s Chapel of Hope after signing the Spiritual Readiness Proclamation at CFAY headquarters, Jan. 6, 2026. ©DoD by Petty Officer 2nd Class Quinton Lee. 01.06.2026. Video ©Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka 01.08.2026. Article by Catherine S. Schmidt, Editor in Chief.

Operation Christmas Drop,  the longest running humanitarian relief operation in the world since 1952, initiate by DoD and led by Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the 374th Airlift Wing from Yokota Air Base, U.S Air Force in Japan. This year the operation is conducted along with the Yokota Air Base, the Andersen AFB and the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Additional:  Operation Christmas Drop 2025: U.S. Air Force, Allies and Partners Integrating to Deliver Donated Supplies, U.S Air Force 2025

U.S Forces Japan, US Europe World Affairs

U.S AIR FORCE IN OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP, THE WORLD’S LONGEST HUMANITARIAN AIRLIFT OPERATION

Acknowledgments: Source © U.S Forces in Japan, Yokota U.S Air Base, November 2025. Video © U.S Air Base Yokota.  Article by Catherine S. Schmidt, Editor in Chief. 

Dear all, July’s Newsletter is available online. You can find it on the Newsletters page  or by clicking  here.  Have a blessed Summer, Editor in Chief.

Dear all, the July Newsletter is on its way. We appreciate your continued support. Editor in Chief

With the participation of a large number of NATO allies and partner nations’ heads of state, representatives, the official from defense and diplomatic ministries, various media and organizations, the NATO summit this year took place from June 24-25 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

The NATO 2025 Summit served as a pivotal event– reaffirming the alliance’s commitment to bolster its collective defense and strengthen the transatlantic partnerships.

Primary Accomplishment

Initiated by President Trump, the summit yielded a groundbreaking consensus on advancing the defense expenditure, as allies ratified a new comprehensive defense investment plan, elevating it to 5% of GDP by 2035.

The augmented investment will be instrumental in materializing NATO’s central objectives including:

• Enhancing deterrence and defense capabilities,
• Improving crisis prevention and management strategies,
• And fostering cooperative security initiatives.

In today’s volatile and evolving geopolitical landscape, a strong, united and adaptable NATO that stands as a leading and a resilient force, is not merely necessary for the transatlantic security and defense but equally essential for global peace and stability.

Additional:

• President  Trump’s Leadership, Vision Drives NATO Breakthrough. June 26, 2025 The White House
• The Hague Summit Declaration  by the NATO Heads of State,  The Hague 25 June 2025
• President Trump at the Press Conference, U.S Mission NATO 
• Get updated on  NATO-Ukraine Council           Follow NATO        

 

Acknowledgments. Sources: NATO. Image-1 President Trump and U.S delegation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO Summit 2025. June 25, 2025 © NATO /Photo by Martijn Beekman. Article by Catherine S. Schmidt, Editor in Chief. 

Stay tuned for the upcoming article ‘NATO Summit 2025 in  in The Hague, the Netherlands’

Get updated from NATO            The White House        U.S Mission NATO       NATO Secretary General   

The State of Israel and its Armed-Forces have one of the most open multicultural political and military system.  The history of Holy Land can attest this fact, by having its 8th President an Iranian immigrant Moshe Katsav,  only a few years ago.

With the encouragement of PM  Benjamin Netanyahu  and religious leaders like Greek Orthodox Priest Father Gabriel Nadaf  more young Arab and Christian are joining the Israeli Armed-Forces, for a better life and future. 

The number of christians and Arabs serving in the Israeli Defense Force is increasing every year. 

“The traditional view of the Arab-Israeli conflict is of Jews fighting Muslims. But that image does not always reflect the truth. 

In fact, there are thousands of Muslim Bedouin who serve in the Israeli army, or IDF, and even bear arms against their fellow Muslims in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.”  Rachid Sekkai BBC Arabic Service, northern Israel. October 20, 2009

1. Additional: Increased Coordination Between Israeli Armed-Forces and the Palestinians for Celebration of Christmas Season
2. Thousands of Muslim serving in Israeli Army.  The Israeli Army does not publish statistics numbers of the non-Jewish enlisted soldiers. However it says hundreds of non-Jewish Israeli citizens – Muslims, Christians and Druze – join the IDF every year. by BBC documentary   

 

• News from PM Netanyahu                                          
• News form Israel Armed-Forces
• Israel Armed Forces (on U.S Europe World Affairs) 
• Israel, diplomatic and cultural affairs   (on U.S Europe World Affairs) 

 

Acknowledgments: This article was originally published in October 2016 on U.S.Europe World Affairs and in PCDN Global Think Tank in the U.S. Article by Catherine S. Schmidt, Editor in Chief. 

June 14th holds a special significance for the United States. It marks both the U.S. Army’s birthday and U.S Flag day.

On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress recognized and adopted the Stars and Stripes as the  United States’ official flag. And years later in 1949 the formal recognition of June 14th as the Flag Day was established by President Harry S. Truman.

Throughout the centuries…… across the world, the U.S flag has been the leading defender of freedom, by fighting openly against tyranny, oppression, fascism and authoritarian systems.The Stars and Stripes is not only the representative of United States national emblem, but prominently on the international stage and….. for the rest of the world…..,it is the enduring aspirations of Freedom and Liberty, Human Rights and  Democracy.

About the United States Flag, by Smithsonian

Acknowledgments: Image © California NG. Article by Catherine S. Schmidt, Editor in Chief. 

Stay tuned for the upcoming article  ‘The Multinational U.S Army-led exercise Defender 25 from April 10 through June 24, 2025′.                                                                                     

                                                                           
                          

Get update from  U.S Army Europe and Africa on  Defender Europe 25